You’re right. Additionally, that $600-$800/yr, is the premium when part of a group health plan so looking for something on your own is likely to cost more for the same converage.
Folk can get very odd ideas about dental insurance… and dental care itself, I guess. So many examples but one in particular illustrates the faulty reasoning I’m talking about. A woman about my own age (say, late 40s back then) had been part of the practice for about 5 years. Started with quite a lot by way of dental needs…so made good use of her dental benefits…but moved quite quickly into “maintenance mode” with minimal to no treatment needs beyond a periodic oral exam and routine cleanings. Towards the end of one visit, she was excitedly telling us about her new job…travel allowance and a load of other perks and a salary increase of $15k a year! She went on to say that she sadly wouldn’t be able to come any longer…we thought, naturally, that she would be moving also for her new job, like you would, right? Nope, nothing like that…her new job didn’t come with dental insurance!! I just burst out laughing at the incongruity of such a comment. My office manager asked her just how much of that extra $15k she’d be spending on the sort of minimal care she’d be likely to need based on her track record. I don’t think she really knew but it was probably more than she wanted to part with. Cannot make this stuff up.